Bedfont Primary School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mr Gez Davis Headteacher Bedfont Primary School Hatton Road Bedfont London TW14 9QZ

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Short inspection of Bedfont Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 5 June 2018 with Stephen Adamson HMI, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in November 2014.

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Short inspection of Bedfont Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Following your appointment in September 2017, you have formed an effective leadership team. You and leaders have communicated a clear drive and desire to continue to build on the good results of 2017. You have established an aspirational culture for all pupils. With your team, you ensure that the school is a kind, caring place for pupils to develop in all aspects of their life.

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Short inspection of Bedfont Primary School

You, your leadership team and governors have an accurate and reflective view of the school’s strengths and priorities. Together, you are determined to improve the school further. Governors work very well with school leaders and are ambitious for the school. You provide them with appropriate information to ensure that they are well informed about the progress of the school in all aspects. Governors are skilled in interpreting data with respect to the progress of pupils and use this information to challenge you and your leadership team.

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Short inspection of Bedfont Primary School

At the time of the last inspection, there was a recommendation to ensure that tasks were set at the right level for all pupils. During the inspection, we saw pupils enjoying their learning. The most able pupils confidently tackled the challenges put to them and lower-ability pupils received appropriate support to ensure their progress. The work in pupils’ books showed that pupils of all abilities work at a high standard.

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Short inspection of Bedfont Primary School

There is a continuing drive to ensure that all pupils reach their full potential, especially academically, by making the maximum possible progress from their starting points. Over time, pupils have achieved well. In published data, the proportion of pupils at the end of Year 6 reaching expected or above standards for their age exceeds the national average. The school is regularly in the top 20% of all schools nationally for progress made across key stage 2, especially in writing and mathematics. However, you are aware that there is more to do to improve the outcomes in reading, particularly for the most able pupils, so that they match the very strong progress made in mathematics and writing. In addition, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year is below the national average. You acknowledge that there is more to be done to prepare children for key stage 1.

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Short inspection of Bedfont Primary School

Pupils are appreciative of what their teachers do for them and respond accordingly. Pupils behave well. They are polite and courteous to visitors and staff. Around the school and on the playground, pupils show respect and care for each other. Pupils say they enjoy coming to school. Nevertheless, absence and persistent absence for disadvantaged pupils and for those who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities remain too high.

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Short inspection of Bedfont Primary School

School leaders and governors have successfully created a culture where keeping children safe is the highest priority. As the designated safeguarding leader, you make sure that staff fully understand their responsibilities and follow procedures for logging concerns. You ensure that all necessary checks are made on the suitability of staff to work with children. Recruitment information is recorded accurately on the school’s single central register and in individual staff files. Leaders and governors monitor records of employment. They ensure that they are up to date and maintained to a high standard.

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Short inspection of Bedfont Primary School

Staff and governors receive regular safeguarding training, including consideration of the school’s role in fulfilling expectations with respect to the ‘Prevent’ duty. Pupils feel safe and well cared for, and know how to keep themselves safe, including when online. They say that incidents of poor behaviour or bullying do sometimes happen but when they occur staff deal with issues quickly and fairly. Parents who spoke to inspectors during the inspection agreed with this view.

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Inspection findings

 A focus for the inspection was the quality of the teaching of reading at key stage 2. In 2017, the progress pupils made in their reading at the end of Year 6 was in line with the national average. However, the progress made by pupils in writing and mathematics was considerably above the national average. In particular, most-able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, did not make as much progress in reading as they did in writing and mathematics.  Since September 2017, leaders have accessed good-quality training for staff and actively promote the importance of daily reading in school. They ensure that reading skills develop through learning in other areas of the curriculum. Pupils have positive attitudes towards reading. They speak enthusiastically about books they have read. The newly appointed leader for reading recognises that pupils do not always have a rich reading diet and the most able are not routinely

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Inspection findings

challenged in their reading.  The second area we agreed to focus on was the quality of provision for, and the progress of, children in early years. This is because the proportion of children achieving the expected good level of development at the end of the Reception Year was slightly below average in both 2016 and 2017.  Children in early years make a positive start, building well on their early emergent reading, writing and mathematical skills. This is because teachers make accurate assessments of what children know and can do. Teachers’ observations capture the most significant milestones in children’s learning in a range of areas.  Children enjoy a rich learning environment, particularly in the Nursery, with activities planned to support and challenge them across the curriculum. Good relationships help children to develop positive attitudes to their learning. Children behave well, work and play together happily, and develop good social skills. They

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Inspection findings

understand how to take turns and play safely. Nevertheless, at times during the inspection, opportunities to support children in the development of their communication, language and learning were missed, particularly in Reception.  Finally, we explored what leaders are doing to address the low attendance and persistent absence of a significant minority of pupils. Levels of absence and persistent absence for disadvantaged pupils and for those who have SEN and/or disabilities remain above the national average. You know your families very well, particularly the most vulnerable. You work with external agencies to ensure that parents have the support they need to help their children. Absences are rigorously tracked and there is a swift response on the same day if a child is absent from school. You have introduced a wide range of rewards and incentives to encourage pupils to attend. Analysis of attendance data suggests that rates

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Inspection findings

are improving this year, particularly for disadvantaged pupils. Nonetheless, you acknowledge that there is still more work to be done in this area.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 they increase the challenge and raise the achievement of the most able, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, in reading  outcomes in the early years foundation stage improve so that a greater proportion of children are better prepared for key stage 1  absence and persistent absence is reduced, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those who have SEN and/or disabilities.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Hounslow. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website. Yours sincerely

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Information about the inspection

 We met with you, other leaders, governors and a representative from the local authority.  We evaluated pupils’ progress by looking at their work in class and their books, and by listening to pupils read.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils formally and informally to understand their views about the school.  Documentation was scrutinised relating to the school’s improvement plans, evaluation of performance, safeguarding, attendance, governance and statutory policies.  Responses to Ofsted’s online surveys, including 13 responses from parents, were reviewed; there were no responses from the staff or pupil surveys.

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